Hurdle



Jan. 29, 1952 s. J. MARzUcco HURDLE Filed Jun@d e. 194s Patented Jan.29, 1952 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE HURDLE Sebastian J. Marzucco,Wynnewood, Pa.

Application June 8, 1949, Serial No. 97,784

, 5 Claims. (Cl. 272-59) This invention relates to a hurdle and moreparticularly relates to a hurdle which can be utilized commonly on acinder track for the running off of various hurdling events in a trackmeet.

As is well known in running off a track meet, hurdling heights of thirtyinches, thirty-six inches and either thirty-nine or forty-two inches arenormally required. Generally speaking, it is conducive to the rapidhandling of the hurdling events to have a single hurdle which is capableof providing the plurality of hurdling heights required.

Where a single hurdle ls utilizedto provide the various necessaryhurdling heights, it is necessary to provide means to compensate for theincreased height of the hurdle bar so that the resistance to upsettingwhen the hurdle bar is struck by the hurlder will remain substantiallyconstant. The means heretofore used to accomplish thus purpose have beentroublesome in that they all rely on proper adjustment of thecompensating means by the person tending the hurdle. As it is human toerr, particularly when speed is a requisite such as here, it has beenfound that the compensating means are frequently not Aproperly adjustedfor an increase in the height of the hurdle bar and an injustice is,therefore, done to the participants in the race.

As indicated above, one of the major problems with respect to runningoff hurdling events is the problem of handling the hurdles with rapidityand a minimum of manpower. In this regard, a major delay resultsincident to the time necessary to pick up hurdles Which have been fupset by the runners. It is, therefore, apparent that a hurdle which,after being upset, would right itself would greatly facilitate thespeedy handling of hurdling events.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a hurdle whichcan be set at varying heights.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a hurdle which canbe set at varying heights having means to au-tomatically compensate forthe changes in elevation of the hurdle bar so that the hurdle bar offersa substantially constant resistance irrespective of its position.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a hurdle whichhas a hurdle bar mounted so that it can be positioned at various heightsand having securing means for the hurdle bar mounting which willsecurely hold the mounting in the desired position and yet permit themounting to be moved with ease to another position.

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An additional object oi this invention is to provide a hurdle which isself-righting.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a hurdle which,While providing the proper resistance to upsetting by a hurdler, willdrop rapidly after the requisite upsetting force has been applied, thusconducing to the prevention of knee and ankle injuries of the socalledfollow leg of the runner.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent onreading the description in connection with the following drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side perspective view of a hurdl in accordance with thisinvention;

Figure 2 is a section taken on a vertical plane through the center ofone of the support members of the hurdle of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the horizontal plane indicated bythe line 3 3 in Figure 1 and showing the locking mechanism in full;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the vertical plane indicated by the line4-4 in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the plane indicated by theline 5-5 in Figure 1.

As shown in the figures, a hurdle 2 in accordance with this inventioncomprises a pair of spaced hollow support members 3, each having anormally horizontal portion 4 and a normally vertical portion 6connected by a curved portion 8. Each support 3 is preferably made froma single tube of a light metal, for example, aluminum, bent to shape. Atubular support member I0 passes through openings I2 in upper portions 6of the supports and abuts against the interior surfaces of the upperportions 6 of the supports, respectively (see Figure 5).

Tube I0 is secured in place by rivets I4 which pass through the upperportions 6 and tube I0. A second tube I6 passes through openings I8 inthe lower portion of the supports, respectively, and is similarlysecured to the lower portions. The tubes I0 and I6 act to securetogether and brace the support members.

The lower portions 4 of the support members are, respectively, pluggedwith weighted plugs 20. The plugs 20, it will be apparent, provideresistance to upsetting of the hurdle 2.

A pair of tubular members 22 are telescoped over the upper portions 6 ofthe supports, respectively. 'Ihe upper end of the members 22 areilattened, as indicated at 24, and have a hurdle bar 25 secured theretoby sheet metal screws or any other convenient conventional means.

Means in each support to secure the tubular members 22 each compriseoppositely disposed Y .desired height.

' which it'exerts. 1 hurdle bar 2% is rnaintained4-substantially` con-YVballs 28 which are carried in a tube 30 and biased outwardly by acompression spring 32 within tube 30. A tube 30 is secured by a pressedt in openings 34 in the upper portion 6 or" each support. Each member 22has a plurality of openings 36 which are adapted to be brought intoregister with balls 28. As illustrated in Figure 4, openings 36 arepreferably chamfered so as to cam balls 28 :inwardly with greaterfacility.

Eachsupport houses identical means to compensate for changes in theelevation of the Vhurdle bar so that the hurdle bar will oiler asubstantially constant resistance irrespective :ofV

its position. Each compensating means comprises a bar 38 secured between`the `upper flattened end of the member 22 and leading downwardly intothe upper portion of the support. The lower end'of each bar 33 carries ahook 4B to which is secured a cable 42.

Cable 42 .leads upwardly around tube 3B, then downwardly around tubeslil and l5 to a hook =44 secured to weight d6.. Weight fifi is ladaptedtoslide within the lower portion li of the sup- 4 stant irrespective ofthe height of the bar. In actual practice the preferred resistance iseight pounds. Y

An observation of the structure of the illustrative hurdle will make itclearly apparent that it is self-righting- The necessary weights inlower portions 4 of the supports requisite to pro- .22 together withhurdle bar 26.

hurdle has been knocked down so that memjport. Weight 45 is biasedtowards plug 2li by a Y ...compression spring e8 which is interposedbetween weight i5 and tube I6.

In operation, the hurdle rests on the lower'portions #i of the supports.The hurdle bar 26 may be Apositioned Vat the desired height by exertingan upwardly or downwardly directed force on the hurdle bar as isappropriate. Thus, for example, if the hurdle werev as shown in Figure land it Vwere desired to raise hurdle bar 26, it would only be necessaryto grasp. the'center of the hurdle bar with rone hand and Ypullupwardly. The upward pull would result in the inward camming of balls 28against springs l532 vby openings 35 in members 2-2. When the `balls 28register -with the .openings 'corresponding to the Vdesired height ofthe hurdle bar, the balls 28 will enter these Yapi-- propriate openings.35,nthus securing the .hurdle bar at the VdesiredY height. ri'hisspring .biased ball securing means veliminates the time .consumingnecessity for operating theconventionally used devices for securing the.hurdle bar at the Observing particularly Figure 2, it will be .apparentthat, .as the :hurdle bar -26 is .eleva-ted, the bars A3S secured tomember ,2.2, respectively, will be pulled upwardly out of upper Vportiont of the supports thus providing slack Yin .cables 4.2. lThis slack inVcables d2 is taken up, respectively, by the .sliding of weights i6towards plugs 20 by means of fsprings v43. Corresponding-ly. as ,thehurdle bar is lowered, cables A2 will .slide weights lis away from plugs2d against springs 48,.

V:Considering now a force striking hurdle .bar 26, as, for example, theVhurdlers leading foot, .it will be .appa-rent that the higher Vthehurdle bar 26 .is located .the greater will be the-turning moment of the-force being exerted. It will be noted that the weight GS is positionedto exert a'turning moment in opposition to 'that .of the 7aboveconsidered force exerted against the hurdle bar. It will further Vbenoted that, as the hurdle bar is elevated `and the turning momentexerted by theY Yabove considered force is correspondingly increased,the weight i5 is Vmoved to the vleft so as to exert 'a correspondinglyIgreater turning moment in opposition 'to theV .first mentioned turningmoment. Similarly, whenV the Vhurdlebaris lowered, the weight is carriedto the right, descreasing the opposing turning moment Thus theresistance oferedby vide the necessary resistance to upsetting isprovided `largely by plugs :20 r*and movable weights 4B. These weightsmake'lower portion 4 considerably heavier than the combined weight ofthe upper portion B of the support and members When the bers 22 rest onthe track, the turning moment exerted by .lo-wer portion 4- of eachsupport including plugs 2t and weights 46 is su1`1`cient to cause thehurdle to be rotated about curved portions 8 and righted.

It will be understood that the .above described .hurdle is :merelyillustrative and that .applicant does not desire to .be limited exceptas set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

' v1. A hurdle comprising a pair of spaced hollow supports each having asubstantiallyV vertical upper portion and a substantially horizontallower portion, za pair of members telescopically mounted on the upperportions of said supports, na hurdle bar secured to said members, .meansto adjust-- ably secure Vsaid members to the upper portions of saidsupports, an'arm depending from .one of said .members into one of .saidsupports, a .xed member in the upper portion of .the support into whichsaid varm depends, a movable weight `within the horizontal portion ofsaid suppcrtinto Which said arm depends, resilient means biasing saidweight away from said arm, andanon-extensible flexible means connected,tosaid weight and the lower portion of said arm, said flexible meanspassing over said fixed member.

2. A hurdle comprising a pair .of spaced hollo .supports each having asubstantially vertical `upperportion'and a substantially horizontallower on the upper portions of said supports, a'hurdle 'bar secured tosaid members, .means to adjustably secure said members to the `upperportions of said supports, an arm depending from one of said membersinto one of said supports, a 'fixed member in the upper portion of thesupport into which said arm depends, a movableweighil within thehorizontal portion of -said support into which said arm depends,resilient means biasing said 'u weight away from said arm, and .a cablecon- Ynected to said weight and the lower portion ofl said arm, saidcable passing over said xed member.

'3. A hurdle comprising la pair oi spacedihollow supports each having asubstantially vertical upper portion and a substantially horizontallower portion, a pair of members telescopically mounted on the upper.portions of said supports,Y a hurdle bar'secured to said members, meanstoradjustably secure said members to the upper portions of saidsupports, an arm depending fromreach of said .members into. each of saidsupports, a fixed member lin the upper portion of Aeachof said supports,a movable weight within the horizontal portion of each of saidsupports,.resilient means biasing each weight away from each of saidarms respectively, and non-extensible flexi-V ble means .in each of saidsupports connected to said weights and the lower portions of said arms'.

said flexible means passing over said ixed members in said supports.

4. A hurdle comprising a pair of spaced hollow supports each having asubstantially vertical upper portion and a substantially horizontallower portion, a pair of members telescopically mounted on the upperportions of said supports, a hurdle bar secured to said members, meansto adjustably secure said members to the upper portions of saidsupports, an arm depending from each of said members into each oi saidsupports, a fixed member in the upper portion of each of said supports,a movable Weight within the horizontal portion of each of said supports,resilientJ means biasing each Weight away from each of said armsrespectively, and a cable in each of said supports connected to saidweights and the lower portions of said arms, said cables passing oversaid iixed members in said supports.

5. A hurdle comprising a pair of spaced hollow supports each having asubstantially vertical upper portion and a substantially horizontallower portion, a pair of members telescopically mounted on the upperportions of said supports, a hurdle bar secured to said members, meansto adjustably secure said members to the upper portions of saidsupports, a movable Weight within the horizontal portion of each of saidsupports, re- Silient means biasing each weight away from each of saidupper portions respectively, and means connecting said members and saidweights for moving said Weights away from said vertical portions. assaid hurdle bar is raised to maintain the resistance of said hurdle tooverturning substantially constant irrespective of the position of saidhurdle bar.

SEBASTIAN J. MARZUCCO.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Austin May 23, 1933Number

